Roadside bombs kill 3 NATO troops on first day of Afghan loya jirga


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By BNO News KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- Three coalition service members were killed on Wednesday as a result of two separate bomb blasts in southern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed.
ISAF said three of its service members were killed as a result of two separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in Afghanistan's south. But as usual, the multinational force gave no other details about the incidents, including the exact locations.
The nationalities of the service members were also not immediately disclosed by ISAF. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," a brief statement said.
The attacks happened on the first day of a three-day loya jirga in Kabul, a grand assembly of more than 2,000 delegates from around the country to discuss Afghanistan's future relationship with the United States. It also includes talks about possible negotiations with the Taliban.
However, in a statement released on Monday, a Taliban spokesman strongly condemned the loya jirga. The statement fueled fears of Afghan officials and those attending the loya jirga that the militant group may be planning attacks to disrupt it.
"We believe the Afghan crisis will only find an end when our nation thwarts the Strategic Partnership of the invaders and their mercenaries under the disguise of Loya Jirga and their other plans, brings the ongoing occupation to an end and fulfill their duty of bringing about an independent, proud and peaceful Afghanistan," the Taliban said in the statement.
It added: "Those people who approve permanent American bases under the banner of the upcoming so-called Loya Jirga will be considered as national traitors and will be deserving of harsh penalties and their names will be written down alongside the slaves and nation sellers like [19th century Afghan Emir] Shah Shuja, [1980s President] Babrak Karmal and [incumbent President] Karzai."
There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 10,000 American troops later this year, with another 23,000 U.S. troops to return home next year.
Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
So far this year, at least 525 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most of the casualties are American and are killed in the country's restive south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.



Roadside bombs kill 3 NATO troops on first day of Afghan loya jirga » Breaking News from WireUpdate | Update to the Minute NewsWire -

merry christmas!

British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast
http://news.in.msn.com/international...mentid=5599643

London, Nov 17 (IANS) A British soldier died from an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the British Ministry of Defence has said.
The soldier was serving with the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment as a part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj North when he was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED), Xinhua reported Thursday.
The British government has plans to withdraw its combat troops from Afghanistan by 2015.
©Indo-Asian News Service

I think that's sometime next month for them but I suppose they can consider it early gift.

And they would do well to remember that foreign militaries won't protect them forever. They're already growing tired. Who really believes ISAF, American and random NATO militaries will still be there in 10 more years? What about 20? They're losing resources, money and lives every day that they remain in Afghanistan. But who will still be around in 20 years?

First of all I can say is the ISI are feeling heat and wish to distrupt this Jirga.

Thanks for the thread Unknownprince.

Unknownprince?

A choreographed jirga has no meaning. In fact, when one looks back at this in retrospect, Hamid Karzai did the Afghan opposition a favor, unintentionally, by further making his intentions of supporting war and occupation clear instead of as before where at times he tried to assume a false anti-US rhetoric.